20 Free or Economical Places to Visit For Kids
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Places to visit that are free or almost free can feed the curiosity and hunger for knowledge of your child and get you out of the house as a family. These ideas also work terrific for home school field trips.  

Couple of great notes to add to the outing:  

*Buy the same color t-shirts for the entire family. Iron-on a family photo onto each t-shirt. Then you can allow your children to embellish each shirt with fabric paints and notions of various sorts. Wear these anytime you go out on family outings to make a family tradition they are sure to cherish. Plus, if one of your little ones should ever get away from you, how much easier to locate them when you can easily recall the color t-shirt they are wearing!  

*Anytime you are touring a place of public service for free, it is always a wonderful treat to bake homemade cookies and present them to our public servants for appreciation.  

*Take lots of pictures and start scrapbooking family memories. Also, you can always fill out a press release, we have an example here: Press Release.  At the end of your trip submit it to your local paper for possible publication.  

Places to Visit:  

  1. Fire Station--Call ahead of time and arrange a visit. The children may get to sit inside the truck, sound the siren, learn about the equipment used, and fire safety. Ask if they have any coloring books, stickers, etc to take with you.
  1. Post Office--Arrange a tour. Have your child write letters to family and self the day before. At the post office place the letters in the mail. The next day the letter will arrive in their mailbox by the postal carrier.
  1. Bank--Schedule a tour. The day before pull out some money, your debit card, and your checkbook for a show and tell time with the children. At the bank you can start a savings account for your children if they have a piggy bank at home. After the tour, when you get home make a simple budget together and set a savings goal. It is wise to teach them tithing/offerings at this time.
  1. Construction Site--Call the company ahead of time and request a visit to a site. You may not be permitted in certain areas due to safety, but the children will enjoy seeing all the tools and equipment. A supervisor may be available to explain the tools and machinery.
  1. Nature Walk--Go to a local park or nature trail. Collect different nature items to make a collage, wreath, centerpiece, or candle later.
  1. Library--Children are amazed at the size of a library and how many books. Get them their own library card and let them check out a couple of books. Teach them to be quiet in the library and to treat borrowed items gently.
  1. Police Station--Call ahead and arrange for a visit to the police station. The day before have the children bake some cookies to take to the policemen to show their appreciation. Request ID kits, coloring books, stickers, etc.
  1. Bakery--Call and request a time to see how pastries are made or cakes are decorated. Treat them each with a cookie before you leave. Better yet, bake a cake when you get home and permit the children to attempt to use the decorating tools as seen at the bakery. Enjoy the masterpiece after supper!
  1. Dairy Farm--Call a local dairy farm and request a visit. If they sell ice cream, have a treat. If not, they may sell heavy cream. Make ice cream when you get home.  If they do not sell products, what a time to hit the ice cream parlor when you are finished. You may want to take an ice chest filled part way with ice to transport some dairy products home, especially if they are raw products, some farmers will not permit you to take their products without “cold” transport.
  1. Local Newspaper--Arrange a tour. The previous day discuss with your children what makes a good journalist. At the news office interview the reporters about how they “stumble on” their stories. Take a digital photo of the reporters with your children. When you get home write an article about the reporters with their photograph and submit it to the local paper to publish!
  1. The Local Zoo--Before going have each child go through books (or help them navigate online) and select some of their favorite animals to search for at the zoo.  Let the child name the animals and take their pictures for their scrapbooks. Have a contest to see who can best mimic a favorite animal such as monkeys or penguins. Discuss what their favorite animals like to eat and drink and where they sleep.
  1. Local Museum --Before visiting find out what types of exhibits they cover. Learn a little about some of the ones that interest your children. At the museum have your child look for their exhibits and tell you about what they know. Buying something as simple as a “rock” or “shell” at the gift shop will make the trip a little more memorable.
  1. Local Historical Sites--If you have access to the internet, now is the time to look up a little bit about the site before you go. On the evening before take the time to share some interesting history about the site so that they will feel like they “know” the place when they get there. It will put a picture to the story. *For added fun, allow them to make a historical piece of clothing to wear on the outing.
  1. Television Station--Arrange a tour. Before the tour find out what types of productions are covered by this station. If you own a video camera, take it with to tape your children in TV Land.
  1. Farmer’s Market--Choose a day to visit your local farmer’s market. Decide a goal before you go to either prepare a jam or cook a meal together with what you buy. Browse through the market and be sure to ask lots of questions about the different fruits and veges and how to prepare them. Buy something and return home to prepare it.
  1. Restaurant--Arrange a tour. Get an inside look at how a chef prepares meals. Order a meal and sit down to meal together. *Pizza parlors are well known for catering to these visits.
  1. Courthouse--Arrange a tour. Take a tape recorder or video camera and interview all the attorneys, judges, bailiffs, clerks, anyone who is willing and ask each of them to define “justice” to you. Be sure to get the correct spelling of their names and titles. When you get home type the names, titles, and quotes of each person in document format. Print out on a nice piece of resume quality paper and frame to give as a gift to the courthouse as a thank you gift!
  1. Florist--Schedule tour. The day before learn how to dry or press a flower correctly. Visit the florist and learn about different flowers and what arrangements they are used in. Buy a flower if one is not given to you and take it home to dry or press.
  1. Domestic Violence Agency--Call ahead of time and find out if they accept used toys and/or clothing in good condition for their shelters. If so, have your children go through their toys and part with some of their excess for children in crisis situations. At the agency, share with your children why violence is unacceptable.
  1. Food Bank--Arrange a drop-off and tour. The day before have your children do chores around the house and pay them for it, then swing by the local grocer and allow your children to each buy their favorite foods to take to the food bank. At the food bank teach your children generosity by giving of your abundance to those in need. Make sure your children understand that someday if circumstances dictated, you might be the ones who needed this food and how grateful you would be for the generosity of others.

By Julianne Bell
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